Previews

Rise of Nations

While playing the beta of Rise of Nations, I found that the broad strategic concerns really do seem to add interesting layers to the game. The national borders concept also helps counterbalance the fast combat, giving a somewhat more measured pace than what you might find in similar RTS games. Rise of Nations doesn't as easily or frequently devolve into a frustrating "click-fest." On the other hand, the density of detail and number of options in the game seem to create an above-average level of micromanagement. Either way, it's gratifying to see a developer modifying the time-worn traditional RTS formula with new and interesting concepts.

The games Conquer the World campaign, for instance, will feature some turn-based elements, a bit reminiscent of Creative Assemblys Total War series. Here, youll start with a single territory and army, choose which regions to invade on a global map, and then play out a variety of different scenarios each turn. You might have to defend newly settled land against marauders for a set time period, or you might engage in a straightforward tactical attack with no resource collecting or base building at all. As you conquer new territories, youll gain rare resources, new supply centers that support additional armies, and bonus cards that you can play in later battles for an advantage. Youll also earn tribute money that you can use to buy territories or help convince other nations to join your cause.

As much as any gameplay concepts, it's the presentation of Rise of Nations that immediately draws attention to itself. At first glance, the game might look like your run-of-the-mill isometric RTS along the lines of the classic Age of Empires series. In fact, there's no denying that these games share a very similar visual style. Despite the similarities, you should find that Big Huge Games has actually put a lot of careful work into the look and feel of their game.

Gathering the troops.

The mixed 2D/3D graphics are looking very colorful at this stage. They feature the sort of cartoony look common to the historical RTS genre, thanks to the out-of-scale units and buildings. Regardless of the buildings' sizes, they're fun to observe carefully. Scanning the scene, you'll spot tiny sheaves of wheat and sacks of grain piled outside a mill. Flying buttresses and stained glass windows adorn a medieval cathedral, and smoke gently wafts from village chimneys. The natural surroundings are well detailed, too, with waves lapping against the shore and birds gracefully soaring overhead.

The unit animations are looking particularly impressive, not because of any technical wizardry, but rather because of the high quality of the animation. Little human details should bring the otherwise anonymous and disposable units to life. An idle worker might casually sit down for a spell and lean back while propping himself up with his hands. An unoccupied troop with a sling will twirl his weapon around every once in while for something to do.

When units get to work, they're even more expressive. Citizens will setup temporary sawhorses as they repair a ruined building, and they'll wade through billowing fields of grain to harvest their crops. Trebuchet crews will carefully setup their massive siege engines as they prepare to unleash a bombardment, and archers will send flaming arrows arcing through the sky.

The French prepare to move out.

In fact, in a genre not often known for flashy visual effects, the fires and smoke in Rise of Nations should really grab your attention. When you lay siege to a city, you'll see little fires break out and grow into conflagrations, with plumes of thick, black smoke billowing out of windows and wafting skyward. You can almost smell the acrid stench. When troops armed with muskets or rifles open fire, surprisingly realistic puffs of smoke emerge from their guns and slowly dissipate in the breeze.

The game's interface also looks very slick and colorful at this point, and it features some of the most extensive and helpful tool tips you're likely to find in a game. You'll probably rely on these a lot since Rise of Nations won't play like any old RTS game and will likely require a lot of attention. But the effort required to learn the game system should, based on what we've seen so far, be well worth your time.